EM 8688Reprinted November 1998

$2.00

IDENTIFYING COMMONNORTHWEST WOOD SPECIES

A Woodworker’s GuideS.A. Leavengood

any woods are impossible to tellapart without using a microscope.Sometimes, a great deal of

knowledge and expensive laboratory equipmentis needed to identify a wood species. On theother hand, you don’t have to be an expert orhave specialized equipment to identify manyspecies. In fact, an experienced woodworkeroften can identify a wood with just a quickglance.

If you have a rough idea of the kind of woodyou’re dealing with, knowing a few keycharacteristics will help you distinguish it fromsimilar woods. This publication is intended tohelp you be aware of those key characteristics1 aswell as recognize species that require aprofessional identification service to identify.

If a safety or health hazard may result fromimproper identification, please contact aprofessional wood identification service.

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1Species descriptions used with the permission of theMcGraw-Hill Book Company from the Textbook of WoodTechnology, by A.J. Panshin and C. De Zeeuw, copyright1949. Published by the McGraw-Hill Book Company,San Francisco.2Terms in italics are defined in the glossary at the end ofthe text.

Hardwood vs. softwoodThe first question to ask is: Is this a softwood

or a hardwood?2 The terms softwood andhardwood do not always indicate the “hardness”of the wood. Pacific yew, for example, is a veryhard softwood; and black cottonwood is a verysoft hardwood.

Softwoods have needles or scale-like foliageand commonly are known as evergreens. There’san exception to every rule, however, and somesoftwoods, such as western larch, lose theirneedles in the fall and thus aren’t evergreen.Softwoods also are known as conifers (cone-bearing) or scientifically as gymnosperms.

Hardwoods, on the other hand, are deciduous,meaning they lose their leaves at the end of thegrowing season. Again, there are exceptions tothis rule. In the Northwest, some nativehardwoods that are not deciduous (i.e., areevergreen) includePacific madrone,tanoak, goldenchinkapin, andmyrtle-wood(also knownas Oregon-myrtle orCalifornia-myrtle). Thescientific termfor hardwoods isangiosperm.

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Scott A. Leavengood, Extension wood productsagent, Klamath County, Oregon State University.

Simply stated, the wood of hardwoods hasvessels (also called pores—Figure 1), and thewood of softwoods doesn’t. Sounds simpleenough, and for some woods, such as oaks, it is,because you can see the pores in oaks with thenaked eye.

In other woods, such as cottonwoods, thepores are too small to see with the naked eye. Atfirst glance, the untrained eye might callcottonwood a spruce or fir, but with amagnifying lens, the presence of pores revealsthat cottonwood is a hardwood.

In hardwoods, the major identifyingcharacteristics are:• Distribution of pores—ring-porous, diffuse-

porous, or semi-ring-porous (Figure 1)• Color, which may or may not be different

between heartwood and sapwood (Figure 2)• Size and distribution of rays (Figure 3)

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Figure 2.—Locations of sapwood and heartwood. Photofrom Understanding Wood, by R. Bruce Hoadley (TauntonPress, 1980).

For softwoods, there are a few majorcharacteristics used in identification:• Gradual or abrupt transition from earlywood to

latewood (Figure 4)• Color, which may or may not be different

between heartwood and sapwood (Figure 2)• Presence or absence of resin canals (Figure 4)• Odor

Figure 1.—Pore distribution in hardwoods. Photo from Identifying Wood, by R. Bruce Hoadley (Taunton Press, 1990).

Ring-porous Semi-ring-porous Diffuse-porous

For both hardwoods and softwoods, we oftendiscuss which “side” of the board to examine forthe important characteristics. Wood has threedistinct planes or surfaces: the cross-section (alsoknown as transverse section or end-grain), thetangential surface, and the radial surface(Figure 5). The tangential surface and radialsurface are collectively known as edge-grain. Forexample, the description for Sitka spruce states,“often dimpled on the tangential surface,” or forbigleaf maple, “pronounced ray fleck on the radialsurface.”

How to use this guideTo use this publication, you need to know

whether the wood you’re identifying is from thePacific Northwest. To identify woods from otherregions, see “For more information,” page 16.

Helpful tools for identification are a 10x handmagnifying lens and a sharp knife or a heavy-duty utility knife.

The “Wood Identification Keys” on pages14–15 might be your first step in identifying anunknown Northwest wood species. While thekeys certainly help narrow the search, however,it’s a good idea to read through the entire text atleast once before using the keys. Reading aboutall the species will help you become familiar with

Figure 3.—Vessels and rays in a hardwood (view oftransverse surface, i.e., “end grain”). Photo fromUnderstanding Wood, by R. Bruce Hoadley (Taunton Press,1980).

earlywoodvessel

latewoodvessel

ray cells

California black oak

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them, especially the ones that are difficult to tellapart. Using the key alone, without the moredetailed descriptions in the text, might lead youto misidentify a sample.

For example, if you’re trying to identify asample of slow-grown Douglas-fir that has agradual transition from earlywood to latewoodand lacks the familiar “Douglas-fir aroma,” thekey probably will lead you to identify it as aspruce. The text, however, states that slower-grown Douglas-fir and the spruces may bedifficult to tell apart and gives some hints forhow to distinguish them.

Figure 4.—Earlywood to latewood transition—gradual insugar pine, abrupt in Douglas-fir (view of transversesurface, i.e., “end grain”). Photo from Understanding Wood,by R. Bruce Hoadley (Taunton Press, 1980).

latewood

resin canals

earlywood

Sugar pine Douglas-fir

Figure 5.—The three principal axes of wood.

cross-section(transverse)

tangential

radial

SOFTWOODSSoftwoods with normal longitudinal resin canals

PinesPonderosa pineSapwood White to pale yellowHeartwood Yellowish to orange-brownOdor Distinctive resinous odorTransition AbruptLatewood band Usually narrowResin canals Present and generally visible to the naked eye (usually not as large as in sugar

pine and western white pine, but larger than in lodgepole pine). Resin canalsmay show up as dark streaks along the grain.

Notes Ponderosa pine often is dimpled on the tangential surface (although lessconspicuously than lodgepole pine). Although ponderosa pine is difficult totell apart from lodgepole pine, there are some major differences, which resultfrom the fact that ponderosa pine trees generally are larger in both height anddiameter and have fewer and larger limbs than do lodgepole pines. Therefore,long, wide, clear boards may indicate ponderosa pine. Ponderosa pine’sheartwood may be reddish in color, whereas this seldom is the case withlodgepole pine. Finally, as previously mentioned, the resin canals in ponderosapine generally are larger than those in lodgepole pine.

Lodgepole pineSapwood White to pale yellowHeartwood White to pale yellow. Heartwood often is only slightly darker than sapwood

and is not distinctive.Odor Distinctive resinous odorTransition More or less abruptLatewood band Usually narrowResin canals Present but difficult to see. Resin canals may form dark streaks along the grain.Notes Lodgepole pine is difficult to tell apart from ponderosa pine. (See description

above.) It often is heavily dimpled on the tangential surface (moreconspicuously than ponderosa pine).

Sugar pineSapwood White to pale yellowish-whiteHeartwood Light brown to pale reddish-brown (not as deep reddish-brown as western

white pine)Odor Faint odorTransition Gradual

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Latewood band Quite narrowResin canals Present and visible to the naked eye. Resin canals appear as dark streaks on

the tangential surface. Transverse resin canals often appear as brown specks onthe tangential surface.

Notes Sugar pine often exudes a sugary substance when green.

Western white pineSapwood White to pale yellowish-whiteHeartwood Cream to reddish-brownOdor Slight resinous odorTransition GradualLatewood band Usually narrowResin canals Large and numerous

SprucesSitka spruceSapwood Creamy white to light yellowHeartwood Pinkish-brownOdor No distinctive odorTransition GradualLatewood band Often narrowResin canals Present (white flecks in the heartwood)Notes Sitka spruce may be difficult to distinguish from other spruces as well as from

Douglas-fir or larch. Spruce wood often is dimpled on the tangential surface,while larch and Douglas-fir usually are not. Also, spruce wood often has asheen or luster, while Douglas-fir and larch generally do not. Color, resincanal size, and dimpling may help to distinguish Sitka spruce fromEngelmann spruce. Sitka spruce typically has a more pinkish cast thanEngelmann spruce. Resin canals also generally are larger in Sitka spruce thanin Engelmann spruce. Finally, Sitka spruce may have more conspicuousdimpling on the tangential surface than Engelmann spruce.

Engelmann spruceSapwood White to yellow-brownHeartwood White to yellow-brown, not distinctOdor No distinctive odorTransition GradualLatewood band NarrowResin canals Present but difficult to seeNotes Wood is lustrous and low density (feels “light”). Engelmann spruce may be

difficult to distinguish from other spruces as well as from Douglas-fir or

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larch. (See the description of Douglas-fir below.) Spruce wood may havedimpling, while larch and Douglas-fir usually do not. Also, spruce wood oftenhas a sheen or luster, while Douglas-fir and larch generally do not.

Other softwoods with normal longitudinal resin canalsDouglas-fir Douglas-fir is not listed with the firs because it is not a true fir. (It is not in

the genus Abies.) This tree has challenged botanists for many years. Over theyears, the tree has been classified as a pine, a spruce, a hemlock, and a true fir.The cones of Douglas-fir resemble spruce cones, and the needles resemblethose of the true firs. In 1867, it was given its own genus—Pseudotsuga,which means false hemlock. If you’re not confused now, you’re in great shape!Douglas-fir truly is in a class by itself.

Sapwood White to pale yellowHeartwood Yellowish to pinkish to reddish-brownOdor Sweet resinous odor (different than pine)Transition AbruptLatewood band Very distinct growth rings (dark and obvious latewood band)Resin canals Present and generally visible to the naked eye (although smaller than pines)Notes Slower-grown trees may be difficult to distinguish from larch or spruce.

Douglas-fir wood typically feels dry, whereas larch may feel waxy or greasy.Douglas-fir also has a characteristic odor, whereas larch and spruce do not.

Western larchSapwood Whitish to straw-brownHeartwood Russet or reddish brownOdor No characteristic odorTransition AbruptLatewood band Pronounced (usually narrow) band of dark latewoodResin canals Present (as white flecks in latewood)Notes It may be difficult to distinguish western larch from Douglas-fir or spruces.

(See the description of Douglas-fir above.)

Softwoods lacking normal longitudinal resin canals“Cedars” Common names for woods sometimes are confusing. None of the woods

native to the Northwest known as cedars actually is scientifically classified ascedar. These species probably are called cedars because of their aromaticproperties, common to the true cedars (trees in the genus Cedrus), which arenative to the Mediterranean and the Himalayas. The four “cedars” native tothe Northwest actually are from three different genera, Thuja (westernredcedar), Chamaecyparis (Port-Orford-cedar and Alaska-cedar), andCalocedrus (incense-cedar). You’ll notice that the names of all of ourNorthwest cedars are either hyphenated or “run together” as in redcedar. Thispractice distinguishes them from the true cedars.

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Incense-cedarSapwood Nearly whiteHeartwood Reddish-brown and sometimes with a tinge of purpleOdor Very characteristic “pencil” odorTransition Gradual but conspicuous (Western redcedar’s transition is more abrupt)Latewood band Very narrowResin canals LackingNotes Incense-cedar also is known as “pencil cedar” due to its common usage for

pencils. The parenchyma are abundant and may be visible to the naked eye inthe latewood as one or two dark bands (a feature that may help distinguish itfrom western redcedar). Rays are fine but visible with a hand lens and form afine fleck on the radial surface. (See ray fleck in the glossary.) Incense-cedarmay be difficult to distinguish from western redcedar. Incense-cedar tastesbitter, whereas western redcedar is relatively tasteless. The pencil odor ofincense-cedar also may help distinguish it from western redcedar.

Western redcedarSapwood Nearly whiteHeartwood Reddish or pinkish-brown (may be very dark brown)Odor Characteristic sweet odorTransition More or less abruptLatewood band NarrowResin canals LackingNotes Western redcedar may be difficult to distinguish from incense-cedar. (See the

description of incense-cedar above.)

Port-Orford-cedarSapwood White to pale yellowish-whiteHeartwood White to pale yellowish-white, often not distinguishable from sapwoodOdor Very characteristic, almost medicinal or ginger-like odorTransition GradualLatewood band Narrow and only slightly more dense than earlywoodResin canals LackingNotes Port-Orford-cedar wood is very straight grained. It may be difficult to

distinguish from Alaska-cedar. The odor of Port-Orford-cedar is morepungent than that of Alaska-cedar. Bands of parenchyma may be seen with ahand lens on a moist cross-section, whereas they usually are inconspicuous inAlaska-cedar.

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Alaska-cedarSapwood White to yellowish-whiteHeartwood Bright yellow (usually more yellow than Port-Orford-cedar)Odor Very characteristic odor (sometimes resembles raw potatoes)Transition More or less abruptLatewood band Very narrow; little difference in color between earlywood and latewoodResin canals LackingNotes Alaska-cedar may be difficult to distinguish from Port-Orford-cedar. (See the

description of Port-Orford-cedar above.)

True firs Individual true fir species are very difficult to distinguish from one anotheron the basis of wood anatomy. They also are difficult to tell apart fromwestern hemlock. (See the description of hemlock below for someidentification hints.)

White fir, grand fir, noble fir, California red fir, Pacific silver fir, subalpine firSapwood Whitish to pale grayHeartwood Whitish to pale gray; no distinctive heartwood colorOdor No distinctive odor when dry. Some species, such as white fir, have a slight

disagreeable odor when green.Transition GradualLatewood band Slight sheenResin canals Lacking

Other softwoods lacking normal longitudinal resin canalsWestern hemlockSapwood Whitish to yellow-brownHeartwood Whitish to yellow-brown, non-distinct heartwoodOdor Usually odorlessTransition GradualLatewood band Often has a purplish tingeResin canals Lacks normal resin canalsNotes Hemlock can be very difficult to distinguish from true firs without a

microscope. Hemlock may have a more abrupt earlywood to latewoodtransition than true firs. Also, hemlock usually is tasteless, whereas firs oftenhave a bitter, unpleasant taste due to calcium oxalate crystals.

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Pacific yewSapwood Light yellowHeartwood Bright orange to rose-redOdor No characteristic odorTransition Very gradualLatewood band Very dense, variable in widthResin canals LackingNotes Pacific yew wood is very fine-textured, very dense, and hard (the densest of

the softwoods).

Western juniperSapwood White to pale yellowish-whiteHeartwood Pinkish to deep reddish-brownOdor Very characteristic odor (similar to eastern redcedar)Transition VariableLatewood band Variable in width but conspicuousResin canals AbsentNotes False growth rings and included sapwood often are present. The grain rarely

is straight due to large and numerous limbs.

HARDWOODSRing-porous hardwoodsOregon white oakSapwood Whitish to light brownHeartwood Light brown to dark brownOdor No characteristic odorPore distribution Ring-porous. Growth rings are very distinct. Earlywood pores are large and

visible to the naked eye in rows of one to three along the ring. Earlywoodpores are plugged with tyloses in the heartwood (vs. black oak pores, whichgenerally are open). Latewood pores are numerous (generally more so thanblack oak), thin-walled, and small (difficult to see even with a hand lens).

Parenchyma Visible with a hand lensRays Both broad and narrow. Broad rays are very evident on both the tangential

and cross sections and appear as a very conspicuous fleck on the radialsurface. The longest ray on the tangential surface is greater than 11⁄4 inchlong (as compared to California black oak, which has rays no more than1 inch long).

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California black oakSapwood Whitish to gray or pale red-brownHeartwood Pinkish to light red-brownOdor Often no characteristic odor, but occasionally faint vinegar odorPore distribution Ring-porous. Growth rings are very distinct. Earlywood pores are large and

visible to the naked eye in rows of one to four along the rings. Pores usuallyare open in heartwood (vs. white oak pores, which are plugged with tyloses).Latewood pores are much smaller (barely visible to the naked eye), thick-walled, in solitary radial lines, and abundant (although less numerous than inwhite oak).

Parenchyma Visible with a hand lensRays Both broad and narrow. Broad rays are very evident to the naked eye on both

the tangential and cross-sections and as a very conspicuous fleck on the radialsurface. The longest ray on the tangential surface is less than 1 inch long (ascompared to Oregon white oak, which has longest rays greater than 11⁄4 inchlong).

Golden chinkapinSapwood Light brown with a pinkish tingeHeartwood Light brown, tinged or striped with pink (often barely distinguishable from

the sapwood)Odor No characteristic odorPore distribution Ring-porous. Growth rings are conspicuous. Earlywood pores are visible to

the naked eye and generally are in a row of one pore (rarely two or more)along the ring. Transition from earlywood to latewood is abrupt. Latewoodpores are small and seem to fan out from earlywood pores.

Parenchyma Not evidentRays Very fine, barely visible with a hand lens

Diffuse-porous hardwoodsRed alderSapwood Whitish when fresh sawn and ages to pinkish or tan (depending on how it’s

dried)Heartwood Whitish when fresh sawn and ages to pinkish or tan (depending on how it’s

dried); indistinct from sapwoodOdor No characteristic odorPore distribution Diffuse-porous. Whitish or brownish line separates growth rings. Small pores

are evenly distributed and similar in size.Parenchyma Not evidentRays Broad rays form purplish streaks up to an inch long on the tangential surface

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Bigleaf mapleSapwood Reddish-white (sometimes grayish)Heartwood Pinkish-brownOdor No characteristic odorPore distribution Diffuse-porous. Growth rings often are difficult to detect, although they may

be delineated by a fine brownish line. Pores are relatively evenly distributedand similar in size.

Parenchyma Not evidentRays Visible to the naked eye (pronounced ray fleck on the radial surface and short

lines on the tangential surface)Notes Wood occasionally is wavy grained.

MyrtlewoodSapwood Whitish to light brownHeartwood Light brown to gray brown and often with streaks of pigment (purple, dark

brown, reddish, etc.)Odor Characteristic spicy odorPore distribution Diffuse-porous. Growth rings are distinct. Very small pores often are

surrounded by a whitish sheath of parenchymaParenchyma See “Pore distribution,” aboveRays Visible with a hand lens

Pacific madroneSapwood White or cream colored (often with a pinkish tinge)Heartwood Light reddish-brownOdor No characteristic odorPore distribution Diffuse-porous. Growth rings are barely visible but are separated by a single

row of pores in the first-formed earlywood of each growing season. Pores arevery small (except the pores in the first-formed earlywood of each growingseason) and numerous. Pores may be solitary, in multiples, or in short radialrows.

Parenchyma Not evidentRays Vary from barely visible to readily visible with a hand lens. A pepper-like ray

fleck is visible to the naked eye on the radial surface.Notes Wood is heavy and hard.

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Semi-ring-porous hardwoodsTanoak Not botanically classified as a “true” oak. (The scientific genus for true oaks is

Quercus, whereas tanoak is in the genus Lithocarpus.) The large “oaklike” raysof tanoak make this wood resemble the true oaks (e.g., white oak and blackoak). This resemblance to oaks probably is where tanoak derived its name.

Sapwood Light reddish-brown (after aging, difficult to distinguish from heartwood)Heartwood Light brown tinged with redOdor No characteristic odorPore distribution Semi-ring-porous. Growth rings are difficult to detect, although they may be

delineated by a thin dark band. Pores are barely visible to the naked eye andare unevenly distributed, often forming radially oriented clusters extendingacross several growth rings.

Parenchyma Visible with a hand lens on the tangential surface as wide ragged lines(similar in color to surrounding fibers)

Rays Both broad (aggregate) and narrow. When broad, rays are readily apparent onthe cross-section and as flecks on the radial surface.

Black cottonwoodSapwood Whitish, frequently merging into the heartwoodHeartwood Grayish-white to grayish-brown; not clearly differentiated from sapwoodOdor Odorless to somewhat disagreeable odor when moistPore distribution Semi-ring-porous to diffuse-porous. Growth rings are distinct but

inconspicuous. Pores are numerous, small, and often decrease in size fromearlywood to latewood. Pores are barely visible to the naked eye and are morecrowded in the earlywood formed first in the growing season.

Parenchyma Form a narrow line along growth ringsRays Very fine, barely visible with a hand lensNotes Wood is lightweight and soft.

GLOSSARYFrom Identifying Wood: Accurate Results with

Simple Tools, by R. Bruce Hoadley (TauntonPress, 1990).

Abrupt transition—Wood species characterizedby an abrupt change within the annualgrowth ring from earlywood to latewood. SeeFigure 2.

Angiosperm—A member of the seed plant classwhose seeds are enclosed in ovaries.Commonly called broad-leaved trees,deciduous trees, or hardwoods.

Cross section—A section cut perpendicular tothe grain; also the surface exposed by such acut. Also called transverse section. SeeFigure 5.

Deciduous—Trees whose current leavesnormally drop after the yearly growth periodis over.

Density—The weight of a body or substance perunit volume.

Diffuse-porous—A hardwood in which thepores are of approximately uniform size anddistributed fairly evenly throughout thegrowth ring.

Dimpling—Numerous small depressions in thegrowth rings, most obvious on split tangentialsurfaces.

Earlywood (also known as springwood)—Thefirst-formed portion of the growth ring, oftencharacterized by larger cells and lower density.Generally, the lighter-colored wood in thegrowth ring.

False growth rings—More than one sequence ofearlywood and latewood within a growth ring.(False rings may appear lighter in color thannormal latewood.)

Genera—Plural form of Genus.Genus—The level of classification below family

but above and including one or more species.The genus name is the capitalized first word ofthe binomial term used to designate a species;e.g., in Quercus garryana, Oregon white oak,Quercus is the genus, and garryana is thespecies.

Gradual transition—Wood species characterizedby a gradual change within the annual growthring from earlywood to latewood. See Figure 2.

Gymnosperm—A member of the naked seedclass of plants—plants whose seeds are notenclosed in ovaries. Commonly calledevergreens, softwoods, or conifers.

Hardwood (see also angiosperm)—Woods frombroad-leaved trees in the botanical groupangiosperms. Since these woods have vessels,they also are called porous woods. (Note: theterm hardwood or softwood does not describethe degree of hardness or softness of thewood.)

Heartwood—The central core of wood inmature stems that was at one time sapwoodbut no longer conducts sap or has living cells.In many species, the color is darker in theheartwood than in the sapwood.

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Included sapwood—Areas of light-colored wood,apparently sapwood, found within the portionof the stem that has become heartwood.

Latewood (also known as summerwood)—Thelater-formed portion of the growth ring that ischaracterized by smaller cells and/or higherdensity. Generally, the darker-colored wood inthe growth ring.

Parenchyma—Thin-walled wood cells (livingwhen in the sapwood) that are involved mainlyin food storage and distribution. Groupings ofparenchyma may appear as light-colored areason cross sections when viewed with a hand lens.

Pore—The cross-section of a hardwood vesselRadial surface—A direction in wood

perpendicular to the (longitudinal) graindirection and following the orientation of therays. See Figure 5.

Rays—Flattened bands of tissue composed of raycells extending horizontally in a radial planethrough the tree stem.

Ray fleck—The conspicuous appearance of rayson an edge-grained surface.

Resin canals (longitudinal)—Tubularpassageways in the wood of certain softwoods(pines, larches, spruces, and Douglas-fir)formed as intercellular spaces encircled byepithelial cells. The epithelial cells secrete resininto the canal. Longitudinal resin canals runalong the grain and are longer than transverseresin canals. (See “transverse resin canals.”)

Ring-porous—Hardwood in which relativelylarge pores are concentrated in the earlywood,and distinctly smaller pores are found in thelatewood.

Sapwood—The active sap-conductive woodcontaining some living cells in mature stems. Itcomprises one to many of the outermostgrowth rings of the wood, and usually is lighterin color than the central heartwood.

Semi-ring-porous—Hardwood with fairly evenlydistributed pores whose size gradually decreasesfrom the earlywood to latewood portion of thegrowth ring.

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Softwood (see also gymnosperm)—Woodsproduced by coniferous trees in the botanicalgroup gymnosperms. Since these woods lackvessels, they sometimes are referred to asnonporous woods. (Note: the term hardwoodor softwood does not describe the degree ofhardness or softness of the wood.)

Tangential surface—The direction in woodthat is perpendicular to the grain and to therays, and therefore is tangent to the growthring. See Figure 5.

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Texture—Relative cell size indicated byadjectives from fine to coarse; in softwoods,determined by relative tracheid (the elongatedconductive cells comprising over 90 percentof softwood tissue) diameter; in hardwoods,determined by relative pore diameter. Alsosometimes used to indicate evenness of grain,e.g., “uniform texture” and uniformity in sizeand distribution of pores, e.g., “even texture.”Fine texture—small and closely spacedtracheids or pores. Coarse texture—relativelylarge tracheids or pores.

(Softwoods)

pockets ofincluded sapwood,aroma similar toeastern redcedar?

yes no

gradual transition fromearlywood to latewood

very hard and dense,orange to rose-red

heartwood?

yes no

spruces

Woods Lacking Vessels

resin canals present lacking resin canals

abrupt transition fromearlywood to latewood

aromatic non-aromatic

lustrous andlacking odor?

waxy feel andlacking odor?

brown streaks(resin canals) and

brown specks(transverse resin

canals) on tangentialsurface?

yes no

sugar pinewestern white pine

yes no

western larch

dimpling on tangential surface, “piney” odor,

relatively narrowlatewood band?

yes no

ponderosa pineor

lodgepole pine(see descriptions)

Douglas-fir

western juniper“cedars”

yes no

Pacific yew

true firs

western hemlock

slight and unpleasantodor, bitter taste?

yes no

WOOD IDENTIFICATION KEY

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Transverse section—See cross section.Transverse resin canal—Tubular passageways in

the wood of certain softwoods (pines, larches,spruces, and Douglas-fir) formed asintercellular spaces encircled by epithelial cells.The epithelial cells secrete resin into the canal.Transverse resin canals run across the grain(with rays) and are shorter than longitudinalresin canals. (See “resin canals.”)

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Tylose—Bubble-like structures that form in thevessel elements of certain hardwood species,usually in conjunction with heartwoodformation.

Vessel (also known as pores)—A longitudinalconductive passageway formed by an alignedseries of vessel elements. Vessel elements are atype of hardwood cell with relatively largediameters, thin cell walls, and open ends.

(Hardwoods)

wide rays narrow rays wide rays narrow rays wide rays narrow rays

very broad rays—up to 1 inch long

on tangentialsurface?

yes no

tyloses present,longest ray on

tangential surface>11/4 inch?

aromatic, withrichly coloredheartwood?

golden chinkapin tanoakblack cottonwood

yes noyes no

yes no

yes no

California black oakOregon white oak

myrtlewoodpith fleck?

paper birch ray fleck?

Pacific madroneblack cottonwood

bigleaf maple(ray fleck)

red alder

Woods with Vessels Present

ring-porous diffuse-porous semi-ring-porous

WOOD IDENTIFICATION KEY (continued)

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FOR MORE INFORMATIONIf you would like additional copies of

EM 8688, Identifying Common Northwest WoodSpecies: A Woodworker’s Guide, send $2.00 percopy to:

Publication OrdersExtension & Station CommunicationsOregon State University422 Kerr AdministrationCorvallis, OR 97331-2119Fax: 541-737-0817

We offer discounts on orders of 100 or morecopies of a single title. Please call 541-737-2513for price quotes.

World Wide WebYou can access our Publications and Videos

catalog and many of our publications throughour Web page at eesc.orst.edu

Other publicationsPanshin, A.J., and C. de Zeeuw. Textbook of Wood

Technology (San Francisco: McGraw-Hill BookCo., 1980). 722 pp.

Hoadley, R.B. Identifying Wood: Accurate Resultswith Simple Tools (Newtown, CT: TauntonPress, Inc., 1990). 223 pp.

Hoadley, R.B. Understanding Wood: A Craftsman’sGuide to Wood Technology (Newtown, CT:Taunton Press, Inc., 1980). 256 pp.

The Encyclopedia of Wood: Revised Edition (NewYork: Sterling Publishing Co., 1989). 466 pp.[Reprint of the USDA Forest Service ForestProducts Laboratory’s Wood Handbook: Wood asan Engineering Material, Ag. Handbook #72]

© 1998 Oregon State University

This publication was produced and distributed in furwork is a cooperative program of Oregon State Univ

Oregon State University Extension Service offers edreligion, sex, sexual orientation, national origin, agestatus—as required by Title VI of the Civil Rights Actof the Rehabilitation Act of 1973. Oregon State Univ

Published January 1998. Reprinted November 1998

Woods of the Western USA (Oregon Department ofForestry in cooperation with the USDA ForestService and the National Association of StateForesters, 1994). 23 pp.

Woods of the World CD ROM (Burlington, VT:Tree Talk Inc., 1994).

Sources of wood samplesfor identification

Carolina Biological Supply Company2700 York RoadBurlington, NC 27215919-584-0381

International Wood Collectors SocietyAttn: Dennis Wilson13249 Hwy. 84 NCordova, IL 61242-9708309-523-2852

Wisconsin CraftsW6407 20th St.Necedah, WI 54646608-565-2101

Garrett Wade Company161 Avenue of the AmericasNew York, NY 100131-800-221-2912

Educational Lumber Co., Inc.Box 5373Asheville, NC 28803704-255-8765

This listing is prepared solely for the convenienceof the readers of this publication and does notrepresent any endorsement on the part of OregonState University.

therance of the Acts of Congress of May 8 and June 30, 1914. Extensionersity, the U.S. Department of Agriculture, and Oregon counties.

ucational programs, activities, and materials—without regard to race, color,, marital status, disability, and disabled veteran or Vietnam-era veteran of 1964, Title IX of the Education Amendments of 1972, and Section 504ersity Extension Service is an Equal Opportunity Employer.

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